Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he has changed his mind over the need for VAR in football and believes the change to using technology to determine the finest of margins has made the game less enjoyable.
The Reds were involved in three lengthy stoppages during a 1-1 draw away to Midtjylland in the Champions League on Wednesday for VAR to check a penalty awarded to the Danish champions and rule out a goal for either side.
“We stop celebrating goals, we wait constantly, we have less than millimetre offside decisions. A lot of things are not like they were before, that’s the truth,” said Klopp in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fulham.
“I said when the idea of VAR first came up I was in favour of it because I thought the right decisions would be nice, if we could have rights decisions.
“I’m not sure we all thought it through properly and how long will it take to get the right decision, how much will it take away from a game we all loved before.”
Liverpool have been involved in plenty of VAR controversy already this season as Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford escaped without seeing a red card for a horrendous challenge on Virgil van Dijk, which caused knee ligament damage to the talismanic Dutch defender.
Jordan Henderson had a late winner ruled out in the same game for a millimetric offside call, while Andy Robertson conceded a late penalty after a review in a 1-1 draw at Brighton two weeks ago.
“It’s nothing to do with tight decisions against us, it’s in general. A few things are not like they were before and they were better before. If you change something there should be just improvement and that is for sure not the case and that’s it.”
Mourinho warns spurs
Jose Mourinho has warned his Tottenham players they face a searching test of their Premier League title credentials over the gruelling Christmas period.
Spurs, top of the table on goal difference, are about to embark on a run of seven fixtures in 21 days, which could have a huge say in whether they will remain as contenders.
They start at Crystal Palace on Sunday before games against Liverpool, Leicester, Wolves, Fulham and Leeds, with a League Cup quarter-final at Stoke sandwiched in between.
Mourinho has been used to juggling his squad as they have been in Europa League action and will do so again, but says his star men such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min will have to play most of the matches.
“It is impossible for a player to play all these matches in a short period of time,” he said. “Of course we need to do it (rotate) and we have to do it but at the same time there are players that are really, really unique.